It can't be!
by Dilkara
Summary: Sm/x-men evo. Usagi is comatose and a certain government agency takes notice of her 'special powers'. Is this the end of the sailor senshi as we know them?
1. prologue

Disclaimer: None of the shows in this fan fiction belong to me. No copy write infringement is intended, I am a fan and am writing this for fun, not profit. But you knew that right?  
  
This has spoilers for the whole x-men evolution series. I am English and I have realised (Thanks to Sailor Ronin Usa-chan) that there are some words we use in England that you don't have in America or other countries. I have checked the ff.net dictionary and the ones I use that you might not understand are in there so if you come across a word you don't know highlight it and press 'D'. If you don't get it after that email me and I will explain it. I'd really like an editor to help out with this fic, particularly one who will spot tense mistakes. Lol. Email me if you are interested.  
  
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Carefully concealed at the outskirts of a park two shadowy figures watched an unsuspecting young woman. They argued in hushed voices, not wishing to alert their quarry to their presence.  
  
"Are you sure she's the one?"  
  
"Sure."  
  
"Cos last time."  
  
"I'm sure."  
  
"How?"  
  
"How?"  
  
"Yeah, how, cos, like, y'know last time..."  
  
"Zhis times different."  
  
"How?"  
  
"Zhis time I'm sure."  
  
"Right- cos being sure, that worked out, like, so well last time."  
  
"Zhis time I have a better description. Zhe prof wasn't feeling quite so cryptic when he told us about the girl."  
  
"Ok. If you're sure, lets go get her. Oh but if you're wrong..."  
  
"hmm?"  
  
"I will smack you down."  
  
*****  
  
The room was never silent.  
  
The steady beep of the heart machine and the harsh noise of the respirator made sure of that. A heavy sigh hung in the air and an oppressive hush fell again as it dissipated. Soon it weighed down on the visitors so much that they felt they couldn't speak... even if they had wanted to.  
  
The scraping noise of denim was heard as someone made a shift in position, a crossing of legs. The quiet noise reigned supreme. Roared in their ears. Brought a queasiness to the stomach and a choking sob to the throat. One occupant stood, sharing a parting glance with the various other visitors as she departed the grim room. Although she could escape the room and it's sleeping inhabitant, the heavy cloud of uncertainty and self-doubt could not be left behind.  
  
*****  
  
Outside it was a warm day, the tarmac was shining brightly, reflecting the suns malevolent rays, hot to the touch, the smell putrid. Was it possible for Ami to hate this rank place any more than she already did? Evidently the two sleazy looking men heading her wouldn't help her heart to flutter with joy at the site of her hometown.  
  
It had been three years since she had been here. Three years is a long time to realise just how much you hate a place. It was only the place that she hated though. She didn't hate the people. No, the people she loved, for the most part. Nor did she hate the lonely park with its lonely flowers, or its lonely warden. That was probably the place's only saving grace. It was where she was headed now. Possibly, it was the smell she hated most. The petrol fumes, the tire marks, sometimes even the cement of the buildings. They gave off a stagnant smell.  
  
Perhaps it was just that she had grown used to the sterility of the hospital where she worked, where really if you thought about it, she lived. Most of her waking life was spent there. She'd leave a long day of healing to return to her barren apartment and dream, dream of times that were gone, times when she had loved this rancid place. When the sight and smell of it didn't remind her that one of her dearest friends lay comatose in a hospital that wasn't her home. She remembered her teenage years, when she had protected the people of this city, the people she loved. Maybe she hated this place because she had left it. Maybe she hated her self for leaving it and blamed the place. Avoiding the guilt that forced a sigh from her now.  
  
How had it happened? How had she let it happen? Scrap that. How did THEY let it happen? They who had stayed. They, who said they loved HER more than she did, loved her enough to stay by her side. They didn't need normal lives, they had her. Wasn't that enough? Of course the loved one had encouraged her to leave, to pursue her dreams of becoming a doctor. After all the fabled 'new age' wouldn't happen for many years, she wasn't needed by her Goddess' side. Now though it seemed she wouldn't ever be needed, their future was looking shaky, to say the least. Can a dead person cleanse the world? Save it? From disease and pestilence? Could her loyal friends and devoted lover save her from whatever was keeping her in her near death state? Would she die? Could she die? Fate would argue that she wasn't allowed to die, not ever. But the very laws of nature say that when a fate is known it becomes null. That thought disturbed Ami.  
  
Walking numbly down the cold cement of the street she barely acknowledged the two men who were still eyeing her with a fierce curiosity. How odd she must have looked. Contemplating the barren pavement, or so it seemed. They approached her now, but she didn't care. Probably they thought she had some mental problem. Probably they wanted to help. Probably the arm slipped around her throat was friendly. Probably the cloth placed over her mouth, as she dimly remembered not to breath, was not chloroform. Surely the lightheaded feeling she experienced as her eyes rolled upwards and closed was imagined. As was the feeling of floating as she was lifted from the ground. Surely in the distance she couldn't see a man and woman, moving with all haste to her aide. Most definitely she was dreaming because the last words she heard before loosing consciousness seemed to be; "Mizuno Ami, we have reason to believe you are involved with the suspected mutant Tsukino Usagi, AKA Sailor moon. For your own safety and protection we are taking you into custody..."  
  
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Well, that's it for the prologue; let me know what you think. I am expecting some confusion but never fear all shall be revealed, eventually, maybe. Lol. For those who are curious; this will be basically in the X-men evolution (cartoon) world but will be following the more adult themes of the original magazine/cartoon, with human villains and the like. This will not be Ami centric though she will play a part. Will Usagi be ok? What's happened to Ami? Who were the mysterious people? Who were the kidnappers? Well, find out in chapter 1! If you want that is. (  
  
Just a note: If you review and give at least one thing that will help the betterment of this fic I will give a detailed review of a fic of your choice. A swap shop kind of thing. Constructive criticism is our friend, not our foe. 


	2. The world was grey

The world was grey, misty and all together too peculiar to be real. In a daze Ami spun around on the spot. Everything moved too slowly, like she was standing in a large vat of treacle. Where was she? Why did her ribs hurt so badly? And why, when she raised her hand to her eyes, did she feel tears?  
  
Slowly the scene shifted around her and she saw a street. This street was familiar to her somehow, yet it was abstract and bizarre. Surely this was the street she had walked along a million times in her youth. There was the crown arcade where she had wiled away her time with her friends. The lampposts and street signs were there but they were impossibly large. If she tried to focus on one it would fade away and reappear somewhere else. In fact the only solid thing seemed to be the road in which she was standing. There were no cars on it and Ami knew that was wrong, there were always cars on this road.  
  
A noise alerted her to another's presence, not another person, but a small cat. Not just any small cat, this was Luna, their Luna. Grinning Ami started towards her, something held her back though and her legs would not move. Frowning Ami tried to approach the situation logically but her brain would not focus on anything other than the small black cat now slowly crossing the road. A horn tooted and from nowhere a car materialised, it careened towards a startled Luna. Ami's eyes grew impossibly wide and she screamed for Luna to move, tried to activate her powers to freeze the cars wheels, but to no avail. As the car viciously smashed into the helpless cat and once again disappeared, realisation dawned on Ami.  
  
It was happening again. Less than two days ago Ami had been at the hospital where she was a junior doctor, she was just finishing up surgery on a deep gash, putting in the stitches when a vision had hit her. Now the same vision was repeating itself. Was it possible she had died and was now in hell, being forced to relive the saddest moments in her life again and again?  
  
Ami returned her attention Luna's lifeless form, just as before she now saw a grief stricken Usagi kneeling by her guardian's side. Usagi began to sob as she stroked Luna's reddened fur. Luna was still breathing but barely. A hand came to rest on Usagi's shoulder, Rei's. After a few moments and a few more tears a resolute look settled on Usagi's face. Gently cupping her hands over her chest she called forth the ginzuishou and set its healing powers to work.  
  
Over the last six years or so they had all become experienced in using some of their basic powers without transforming, so the small feat of healing Luna took very little out of Usagi. However this extra skill did not help Usagi in what was to happen next.  
  
A random man materialised from the mist. He regarded Usagi and the healed Luna, who was purring and rubbing herself on Usagi's legs, first with fear and mistrust and finally anger. From nowhere and too quickly to comprehend he pulled out a handgun. Raised it to eye level and fired. Usagi heard the noise and looked up before she registered the pain in her ribs. The bullet hit just below her breastbone and shattered a rib. She looked down and saw the blood oozing from her pale blue blouse and looked up at the man with a questioning gaze. He was yelling something about mutants, filthy mutants -- Who didn't deserve to live. Usagi never got to question him as her eyes glazed over and she sank to the floor in a heap.  
  
Rei who was beside Usagi collapsed next and all through out the city of Tokyo the rest of the senshi collapsed too and were subjected to the vision of Usagi being forced into a coma. The wave from Usagi reached out and hit Ami in a hospital in Sendai. Then it spread, to Haruka, Michiru and Hotaru, wherever they were, next to Mamoru in Michigan USA, where he had stayed to teach physics to fellow University students. If it reached Setsuna in the mysterious realm of the time gates Ami did not know. She and the other inner senshi recovered as soon as the vision had played out in their minds. Poor Rei who had seen the shooting was forced to live through Usagi's nadir twice.  
  
Ami and her fellow inner senshi had all been drawn inexplicably to their Princess' side. Once Ami had recovered she had left the hospital in a trance. The angry, confused shouts of her colleagues and superiors had followed her all the way to her car.  
  
Ami had not arrived until the following day. Usagi was in the hospital by then, hooked to all of the machinery that was supposed to keep her alive. It all looked too terrifyingly real. As Ami entered the hospital room she found she was able to think rationally again and the machines that bleeped and wheezed looked so strange to her, despite their familiarity. They all knew how absurd it was that Usagi should be struck down by something so real as a human with a gun. Not a monster or a mythical beast, they could have handled that. Maybe even understood it, this they could not.  
  
In the misty, grey world Ami relived the sorrow of seeing her best friend comatose. The walls faded away and all she could see were the inner senshi, her friends. For some reason they appeared just as coloured blobs. Orange and gold for Minako, green and brown for Makoto and so on. She spoke with them as she had before.  
  
There had been no word from Mamoru, or the outers. They had not been drawn to Usagi it appeared. It was to be expected Ami explained, they, the inner senshi were Usagi's guardians. The outers probably thought they had had some kind of psychotic episode, they would not know that the vision was real. The psychic link they all shared was not as strong with them. But Mamoru was a different story. Since they had realised their destiny he had always had the strongest connection with Usagi, yet he had not even called. Even Ami did not have an explanation for that.  
  
They were all scared by the strength of the link. The fact that they had all collapsed when Usagi was hurt made them wonder what else it could have caused. What if one of them had been driving when it happened? That was when the fear turned to anger and guilt. They were her protectors and here Usagi was, dying and there they were, worrying about themselves. Ami almost expected it when the finger of blame was passed on to her.  
  
It was the same arguments as before. Of course she should pursue her career, of course she could have a life. But she should have it in Tokyo, with Usagi, not 600 miles away in the rural town of Sendai. An uneasy silence had fallen. The grey world started to fade until all she could see was Usagi's stricken face, tubes coming out of her nose and mouth, her hair messy, her eyes closed, hardly fluttering at all.  
  
***  
  
The misty world started to smell strange. It made Ami want to cough. This was it, she really was in hell and now the whole scene was about to replay and once more she would be helpless to do anything. Funny though, the smell wasn't sulphur, it didn't smell like hell was supposed to.  
  
The smell was getting stronger and now the world wasn't grey it was black. God the smell it was too much. Ami scrunched her eyes and tried to exhale the scent. She coughed and spluttered.  
  
Ami's eyes flew open as she coughed and she turned her head to the side to gasp in air. She blinked a few times as she realised she was no longer in the misty world. In fact she was looking at a white washed wall. There were bright electric lights overhead and standing over her was a man.  
  
*****  
  
"Ami Mizuno, Welcome. I am colonel Trask. I must apologise for your predicament but it is imperative that we protect you, a promising young woman, from the mutant threat that is Miss Usagi Tsukino."  
  
Ami glared at him. She remembered the men grabbing her. It made her hate this man immediately. So did his words - mutant. That word again the man in the vision, and the dream she had just had, had used that word. She vaguely recalled something about it that had come through from American research. Adolescents, who developed some sort of powers, and this man thought Usagi was one. Ami went to stand but found she had been bound to her chair. She glared daggers.  
  
"Ah, yes, the restraints. A necessary precaution whilst we run some tests to assure you are one of us. I am from a special agency within the US government dedicated to exposing, and where necessary eradicating the mutant threat." Trask spoke English so it was a good job Ami was fluent. Otherwise she might not have been quite as angry.  
  
"Usagi-chan is not a mutant! How dare you! Let me go, you have no jurisdiction here!"  
  
"Ah, but Miss Mizuno we have CCTV footage of her using mutant powers, furthermore, these powers are the same exhibited by the vigilante you know here as 'Sailor moon'. Of course until now Sailor moon's appearance has been unknown to us. But with the evidence we received from your own government we were able to make the connection. There is no use denying it."  
  
He paused to bend to her eye level. His tone was condescending, as though he thought Ami were a two year old who could not understand what he was saying.  
  
"Miss Mizuno, Mutants are a very real threat. They are dangerous and uncontrollable. For the safety of mankind it is our duty to put them in secure colonies where they no longer pose a threat to the ordinary citizens of this world. Why just a few months ago a group of mutants nearly destroyed a city. Miss. . . Ami. We need your help to get to Usagi Tsukino. For her own safety as well as the world's."  
  
*****  
  
"That'a girl Usagi, I knew you could do it." Rei smiled at her sleeping friend. Small tears formed in the corners of her eyes and trailed a path down her nose, dropping from its tip onto the hand that was clutching Usagi's. The doctors had just switched of the respirator, Usagi was breathing by herself now. It had been exactly nine hours since Ami had left and almost 42 since Usagi had been shot. The doctors had removed the bullet and stitched up the wound, now the ginzuishou was fixing the rest. Ah but how slowly.  
  
Rei gently stroked Usagi's hand. Running her fingertips over Usagi's perfect nails, making sure they were smooth and didn't need any more filing or buffing. Rei hadn't left her Princess' side since it had happened. She felt so guilty. She had been with Usagi when it happened and what had she done? She'd stared in shock and cried, sank to her knees in despair as Usagi fell. She had cradled Usagi's lap in her head, tried to stop the bleeding, checked that she was still alive. Wished that she were Ami so at least she wouldn't feel so helpless. Then her world had gone black and she had passed out.  
  
At first she thought it was from shock and all she could think was that her best friend was dead and she would never see her again. Until the terror that was watching Usagi get shot had started again. She had cried for all she was worth as the bullet hit. The look on Usagi's face as the pain exploded in her chest had been almost too much to bear. . .  
  
Rei snapped back to reality. It did her no good to keep reliving it.  
  
*****  
  
It was odd. Usagi could see and hear Rei-chan, but Rei didn't seem to be able to see or hear her. It was annoying. For about the tenth time Usagi waved her hands in front of Rei's face. "Darn it Rei. Look at me!" Usagi flicked Rei's nose. The nose a tear had just fallen off of. Usagi's hand did not pass through Rei's nose; Usagi could see no reason Rei couldn't feel her poking and prodding but then, she wasn't the clever one. Next time she'd make sure Ami got turned invisible.  
  
It was kind of cool, this out of body thing. Sure at first it had been scary to sit up in bed and have no one see you. The doctors had just turned off the breathing machine thing when she woke up, so for about the last 10 minutes Usagi had been in this invisible state. When she'd first seen her body laying there she'd worried she was dead. She'd tried to stand on the edge of the bed and jump into the light bulb, her brain had reasoned she needed to go into the light. But then she realised the irritating bleeping coming from the machine she had just told to 'shut up' was a heart monitor. That definitely meant she was alive. Usagi had then proceeded to try and get Rei (the only other person in the room) to notice her.  
  
With a sigh she gave up. Rei was day dreaming about something anyway, she wasn't paying any attention.  
  
Usagi knew she had been shot. She remembered that clearly. In fact her ribs still hurt where the bullet had hit. Usagi sighed and flopped onto the bed, arms folded sternly in Rei's direction. "Come on Rei. You're supposed to be psychic. I know you're sad and everything but I really don't feel like being miss invisible for much longer. If you know I'm ok you wont be sad any more. So look up. . . now." Nothing happened. Well, Rei sniffed quite loudly. "Now." Usagi snapped her fingers in Rei's face. Nope, that didn't work.  
  
"What I really need is Ami-chan." Usagi didn't notice her surroundings change to a small room with white walls and a heavy metal door. "She would so know what to d- Huh?"  
  
Usagi looked around her. Where in the world was she now? Where'd Rei go? "Uh. . ." Usagi frowned. Then raised an eyebrow. This was certainly -- new. It was then that she realised she wasn't alone in the room. A man was muttering something and putting on a pair of white gloves. But something that really made her heart flutter with joy was the welcome sight of Ami. Ami, tied to a chair, and with a rather large bruise on her cheek. Usagi fumed.  
  
"Hey, You jerk what are you doing to my friend!" Usagi strode up to him. If she was visible she would be about two inches from his face. She stood on tiptoes and raised her chin to yell at him. "No-one hurts my friends! Leave Ami alone!"  
  
Frustratingly this man didn't seem to see or hear her either.  
  
"Miss Mizuno. You are beginning to try my patience. With or without your cooperation a revolution is upon us. We have means of getting what we want. However, with your help the removal of Miss Tsukino will go a lot smoother. So again I ask, what do you know about her powers?"  
  
Ami looked Trask in the eye and said simply: "No." His pretence at friendliness melted and he slapped her hard across her cheek with the back of his gloved hand. Tears escaped her closed eyelids as her head whipped to the side. Usagi was incredulous. Her mouth opened from shock. Ami was being hurt because of her. What did this evil American man want with her?  
  
Trask was saying something again, Usagi was too busy being alarmed to catch it all but she did hear something about mutants. Oh boy did she know *that* word. It was what the man who shot her had yelled as he pulled the trigger. What did it mean though? Ami obviously knew, Ami always knew things like that. The man hit Ami again, for apparently no reason.  
  
Usagi let out a sob with Ami. "Stop it! Can't you see you're hurting her! Ami, Ami just transform and freeze his privates off, please Ami-chan, stop being stubborn and brave and just let him have it." Her words had no effect. Usagi growled and threw her hands up in agitation.  
  
"This is no good. How am I supposed to help if no one can see me! I need to find someone who can sense me or someth-" Usagi stopped mid sentence. For some reason she was now standing in what looked decidedly like a small metal aeroplane. People were seated in padded chairs, their safety assured by the belts around their waists. Usagi could hear the distinctive noise of an engine. She was standing right in front of a girl with pretty red hair and dressed in a black and green jumpsuit. The girl jumped and gave a small startled scream. Much to Usagi's jubilation the girl was staring right at her. Usagi clapped her hands and grinned.  
  
"You can see me! This whole moving to where I wanna go thing is very cool! You have to help me, my friend's in trouble!"  
  
Jean Grey raised a carefully sculptured eyebrow and looked towards Scott who was sitting next to her. He was staring right through the blonde girl standing in front of her. Jean turned back to the girl.  
  
"Hey, you're one of them!"  
  
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A.N. It's so much easier to spot errors when it isn't your own writing so let me know if you spot any. Thanks to all the lovely reviewers.  
  
Next time: Will Usagi find a way to help Ami? What are the x-men doing? Will Usagi get back into her body?  
  
As always constructive criticism is very welcome, how else will I know where I'm going wrong? Do you think this is going to slowly, was it confusing, boring etc. please let me know using the review button down there *points*. I'm still looking for an editor if you would like to help me out. 


	3. Rescue

"Hey, You're one of them!"  
  
It made Usagi glad that she had made the right call and spoken English, or more appropriately American judging by this girl's accent. Usagi allowed her self a mental pat on the back before focusing her attentions back on the girl that could see her. Sadly, the red head's companion wasn't quite so receptive to Usagi's appearance.  
  
"Jean, what are you doing, who are you talking to?"  
  
"Scott, can't you see her. It's one of them. The girls Kitty and Kurt were supposed to be checking out. Can't you see her?"  
  
"Um... No. Jean, are you sure you're feeling alright." Scott rested his palm on his girlfriend's forehead; she batted his arm away irritably. Before a squabble could break out the resident authority figure cut in.  
  
"That's quite enough Scott. Jean is quite correct, we do indeed have a new passenger." Professor Xavier spun his electric wheelchair around to face Usagi. She also turned towards the sound of this new voice. That was when she noticed she was standing towards the back of the craft. As she turned she took in the other passengers. One, a wheelchair clad man was looking right at her. He could see her too! A large, blue, furry man was piloting the plane. Wait, blue? Furry? Usagi's alarm bells were ringing, the only thing she'd ever seen resembling that creature was a youma or worse. She narrowed her eyes in distrust at it but as it was looking quizzically at the man who'd just spoken she decided it wasn't a threat at the moment. In adjacent seats behind the youma like creature sat three other people; a young girl with reddish brown hair and a prominent white stripe running through her bangs, a young boy with blonde hair and a rather fierce looking man. None of them were looking at her.  
  
Usagi decided to go with the safe approach and stick with talking to the redhead who she'd been sent to.  
  
"Look, I know this must be confusing and you have absolutely no way to know if I can be trusted but my friend needs your help. I don't know how I got here and I don't much care-" Usagi's speech was cut short by the annoying man in the wheelchair.  
  
"We know who you are Usagi. We are right now flying towards Tokyo to assure your protection from 'project X'." Usagi looked at him in utter confusion. "Huh?"  
  
"I'm sorry, please, allow me to explain myself. I am Professor Charles Xavier. I run an institute for gifted students. Mutants like your self."  
  
There was that word again. Usagi's eyes grew hard. If he was in league with the *man* that was hurting Ami-chan...  
  
"These are just some of my X-men. We saw your predicament on the international news and through some associates of Wolverine," He nodded his head towards the fierce looking man. "We discovered that a few government officials that we have had unpleasant dealings with in the past were taking an interest in you. I sent some of my X-men to watch over you and your friends and make contact when the time was right. However one of your friends was captured so we are - were on our way to the hospital you are in." Usagi snorted. "We did not foresee your appearance here, I was unaware that astral projection was one of your powers. Cerebro, a powerful computer I use to detect new mutants was unable to detect your particular gifts."  
  
Usagi frowned at the long-winded explanation; she wasn't that great at English and there were a few words in there that she didn't exactly understand. The gist of it was seemed to be that these strange people knew who had Ami, they could help her and right now, that was all she cared about.  
  
******  
  
Minako was worried. Yes, that horrible sick feeling in her stomach was definitely worry. Ami had left the hospital around fourteen hours ago and hadn't even called to check on Usagi. A short while after that Minako had started to think that maybe they had been a too quick to turn on Ami. To accuse her for all that had happened. Really, if you thought about it, they were more to blame. Makoto had taken it really hard, she was the senshi of protection after all.  
  
Still, Usagi was doing a lot better now. The ginzuishou was working it's magic and healing her. Of course the doctors didn't know this. They couldn't understand why she was healing so fast they were pleased though. Ami would be pleased, if she'd only answer her damned phone. Every time one of them rang to apologise she'd hang up. It was getting very irritating, but it was making Minako a bit apprehensive. It wasn't like Ami not to answer her cell. It wasn't even like her to hold a grudge. It was very unsettling. Yep, Minako's 'senshi sense' was definitely acting up.  
  
*****  
  
Unbeknownst to Dr. Hank McCoy he was currently the object of deep scrutiny by an invisible Princess. Usagi had kept the so-called professor under careful observation during the flight thus far. Her conclusion was that he was a strange sort of youma. One who could fly a plane and who kept trying to talk to her in Japanese. Of course he looked somewhere over Usagi's left shoulder when he spoke. The first attempt had gone somewhere along the lines of: "Ohayo Tsukino-san, Watashi wa McCoy Hank." Usagi had replied with a glare.  
  
The friendly redhead, Jean, had talked with Usagi for a while. Jean had told her about mutants. She had used some technical English words that Usagi had no hope of understanding. When she'd taken it upon herself to learn English it had been so she wouldn't embarrass Mamoru when she met his American friends, not so she could understand about X-genes or telo- something-or-others. Jean had explained that Professor McCoy (as she called the youma-man) was just a person who had 'mutated' and now looked like, well, a large blue monster. Usagi wasn't too sure about this and was currently conducting her own study of him; She concluded by classing him as a huge scary teddy bear.  
  
Tearing her eyes away from Hank McCoy she directed her gaze out of the window. The jet was going very fast so it was hard to focus on anything, but she had a feeling that they would be near Ami soon.  
  
******  
  
A white blur had entered the small room Ami was being held in. The blur said something inaudible to the dark blue blur in the room. Ami blinked a few times to try to clear her shaky vision. It didn't work. All too soon the white blur left through the heavy grey door with the tiny window in it. This whole scenario was too absurd. Where were the laws that were supposed to govern society? Why was this colonel Trask allowed to walk free among sane citizens? As the door closed with a distinct clang Trask turned his attention back to Ami. His voice held contempt and a hint of fear.  
  
"Well Miss Mizuno, it appears you've been keeping something from us. My colleague just informed me that your blood test has come back 'abnormal'." Ami's head shot up. It was impossible! She had habitual blood tests at the hospital and nothing had ever been irregular. This man was certifiably insane!  
  
"Through careful screening measures we are able to detect if a seemingly ordinary member of the public is inflicted with the 'X-gene'. I am informed you have an unrecognisable element to your DNA that is unlike anything we have encountered before. You Miss Mizuno, and most definitely your friend Usagi Tsukino are seemingly an undiscovered form of mutation, that without my intervention would have been allowed to roam the World freely."  
  
He sounded alarmed. As though she was the worst menace since Hitler.  
  
"My colleagues are currently preparing a laboratory for an investigation into your particular- "He thought for a moment, searching for just the right word. "-Curse."  
  
Ami paled despite her brave front. She could transform and maybe escape. She could use her powers to freeze Trask's genitals off. She could do so many things, but all she would do was be strong for Usagi. For Usagi she would take whatever they hit her with, she would protect her Princess, her friend.  
  
******  
  
"Come on, come on land already!" "Usagi, you must be patient. Stealth is key to this operation." Usagi hopped from one foot to another in agitation. That was the third time Professor Xavier had scolded her. She felt like she was back in high school, which was a strange feeling considering she'd graduated four years ago. Was it her fault she was impatient to rescue her friend from evil Americans? Well it was partly her fault that Ami needed rescuing, if she hadn't been so careless with the ginzuishou... But there was no point blaming her self, that wouldn't help Ami.  
  
At last McCoy-san had landed the X-jet and Usagi rushed to the exit and waited anxiously for the young man named Scott to open the electronic door. Scott exited first, followed by Jean who said to her "You know you could probably walk right through walls and things." Usagi nodded in consent but decided not to try it. Just in case it didn't work. The rest of the X-men followed Usagi down the steps to the concrete covered ground. The young boy with blonde hair, Bobby, was eager for battle. He had a glow on his face that Usagi often saw on Mako-chan's, a lust for victory. The two other occupants Rogue and Logan, who hadn't even attempted to speak to Usagi, were the last to descend the steps. The Professor exited using a ramp at the front of the jet, whilst McCoy-san stayed in the plane so they could make a quick escape. Of course they all called each other by code names but Usagi thought that was a bit strange, seeing as how they didn't even transform or anything.  
  
During the flight Xavier had talked about meeting a cat and a 'night crawler' at the military base they had tracked Ami to. Usagi had no idea how they'd known where Ami was, but she figured it had something to do with those two. They had landed about a quarter of a mile from a disused military base on the outskirts of Tokyo. They all began moving towards the near derelict concrete building. Menacing looking barbed wire and various shrubbery surrounded it. Logan was periodically sniffing the air and as they got closer to the building he muttered "Trask". Usagi turned to question Jean about this peculiarity but she never got a chance. Directly in the space Usagi was standing in a small blue fuzzy boy and a young girl appeared from no-where. One minute Usagi was standing in an empty space, the next she was screaming and leaping out of the person who had just appeared. Usagi shook her hands in panicked disgust. She had just been inside a person!  
  
Jean laughed at Usagi's reaction. "This is Kurt, and Kitty, AKA Night crawler and Shadow cat. They've been watching over you. They followed your friend here when she was abducted."  
  
"Jean, like, who're you talking to?" Kitty was looking around her for the unseen person.  
  
"I'll explain later Kitty. Right now we need to get inside that building." Kurt nodded and replied "Ve tried to 'port in but ve set off zhe security system zhere's no vay ve're going to get in undetected..."  
  
The professor turned his attention to Usagi. "Maybe, but maybe not. Usagi, what powers does your friend have?" Usagi shook her head in answer "Powers? She doesn't have any mutant powers. We're different to you people. It doesn't work like that. She can help though. If I just had some way to talk to her I could let her know that I'm ok and then she'll transform. She'll use her 'powers'."  
  
The Professor thought on this for a while before speaking.  
  
"There maybe a way to do just that Usagi. If you're willing." Usagi nodded immediately "Of course. I'll do anything, anything at all."  
  
******  
  
The group of scientists currently buzzing around Ami had hooked her up to several machines. Some she recognised, some she didn't. Various electrodes were attached to her skin, measuring her heart rate, blood cell count and brain activity, among other things. Soldiers had come and taken her at gunpoint from the interrogation room and brought her here. Where here was she did not know, only that they had reached it by walking down a long corridor with many doors. The room she was in was immaculately clean and white. Scientific and medical equipment were spread about the place, on medical trolleys or standing by walls. To her right were several small enclosures with heavy Perspex doors. She was strapped onto an operating table.  
  
The blue tank top and denim shorts she had been wearing had been removed and replaced with a sheet that left her shoulders and arms bare. Ami looked about her in trepidation. She was beginning to struggle with her resolve. Already they had tried passing electrical currents through her body. Her hair frizzed slightly and her hands hurt where they had connected the wires.  
  
Now someone approached her with a scalpel. It was a man in sterile gloves and mask. Talking to her to try and calm her, as though being experimented on was an everyday occurrence.  
  
"We have encountered in the past mutants with accelerated healing. We also developed ways to detect this. However your genetic make-up is like nothing we have encountered before. Most fascinating really."  
  
Ami closed her eyes as she felt the man make a small incision in her left forearm. It didn't hurt that bad, she had felt worse. It was the humiliation of feeling weak and defenceless that hurt more than the physical pain. The man stepped away and assessed the incision he had made. It did not heal, nor did it show any signs of healing soon.  
  
The man was talking to her again but Ami did not listen. There was no need. Strangely his voice started to sound a bit feminine. He was calling her by name, he sounded urgent.  
  
"Ami, Ami. It's Usagi. Ami can you hear me?" It sounded just like Usagi.  
  
"Ami-chan I've brought some people with me, they can help you but I need you to transform when we give the signal." The voice sounded unsure for a moment and then stopped. Soon it came back. Ami listened intently. "Ok. The signal is when you hear alarms go off you must transform. Some people will come and get you out. You have to trust them. It really is me Ami-chan. I know you probably don't believe it but these people. They're helping me. Ok, the professors making some strange faces so I have to go. You can do this Ami. I have faith in you. Show him what the Senshi are made of, 'kay?"  
  
Then the voice was gone and the man's voice returned. "...Most interesting."  
  
******  
  
They hit hard and fast. Attacking three different points at once. Usagi didn't know exactly how all of the others got in but her group. Or more specifically Jean's group held on to Kitty and walked through a wall. Appearing in a corridor. A security camera zoomed in on them and a booming voice sounded. "Mutant sighting in section 3 all units. wait there are two more sightings sections 7 and 4. Intercept with extreme force."  
  
Jean motioned to Bobby, the other member of her group and he shot a stream of ice to the camera. Jean closed her eyes and concentrated. Snapping them back open she told the others "She's this way, let's go!"  
  
They didn't get far before several soldiers stopped them. Bobby sent a wave of Ice along the ground, knocking two of them to the floor. One shot at him but Jean put up a telekinetic shield and the bullet fell harmlessly to the floor. She put her hand out and the soldiers flew backwards, slamming against a wall where they were promptly boxed in by a wall of ice. Soon enough the sound of alarms filled the air. Usagi silently prayed that Ami would do as she had asked as more soldiers headed their way.  
  
******  
  
Ami dimly acknowledged that many of the people in the laboratory had scurried out as the alarms started to ring. Her ears throbbed with the noise. There was something she was supposed to do now, what was it? Trask was in the room sneering over her. He made her so mad! How dare he do this to her! Usagi would tell her to defend herself if she was here. Wait, she had been here! Ami smiled as she remembered her leader's voice in her mind. It was too coincidental that the alarms were now going off (just like Usagi had said they would) she couldn't have been hallucinating. Ami closed her eyes and concentrated on calling her transformation. To finalise the power surge she yelled out her transformation phrase.  
  
"Mercury crystal power make-up!" liquid ribbons swirled around her naked form. The electrodes were forced off as her fuku appeared. Trask was staring in open-mouthed shock. Ami smiled at him.  
  
"Want to know a great thing about being a sailor senshi?" She asked innocently as she broke the straps holding her to the operating table. "Super strength. Colonel Trask, meet Sailor Mercury. I guess you could say this is my power. Want to see what I can do with it?" Trask backed steadily away from her; he was too shocked to think about drawing his gun. Ami turned her attention to a machine that was whirring angrily, having been disconnected from its subject.  
  
"Aqua rhapsody!"  
  
A torrent of ice-cold water flew from Ami's out stretched arms. Shorting all the machines in the vicinity. "Sorry, but I can't have you exposing us now, can I? And with no proof there is no story." Trask with drew his gun. Ami tutted and hit him with a shabon spray freezing attack.  
  
Ami turned her back on Trask and headed towards the door. Just as she reached it a group of teenagers and one older man charged through. Usagi was not with them.  
  
"Hi, Ami Mizuno? We're friends of Usagi. We need to get out of here before back up is called. Usagi's saying you can make it a bit easier for us." A tall redhead had spoken.  
  
Ami raised her eyebrows slightly at them but nodded in consent. She began to spin on the spot, holding her arms crossed in front of her. As she uncrossed her arms she yelled "Shabon spray!"  
  
The room filled with tiny opaque bubbles that quickly settled into a dense mist. Someone grabbed her arm and started to lead her down a corridor. She kept her attack going as they walked, obscuring their presence. Ahead she could see a man leading. He appeared to be sniffing the air. The others followed him unquestioningly until they arrived at what she assumed was an exit. It was not. They were facing a wall. Suddenly another person took hold of her other gloved arm and with a distinct popping sound she found her self on the other side of a chain link fence that surrounded the building she'd just been in.  
  
Ami opened her mouth to question but the person who'd taken hold of her arm had disappeared and the one who had been leading her, a slightly built young girl with her hair in a high ponytail was smiling at her. Ami looked around her in some concern, fighting the urge to bring her visor down and analyse her rescuers. A bald man in a wheelchair approached her with a smile.  
  
"Ami Mizuno I assume? Your friend Usagi is very pleased to see you well. I wish you could see her, she is most exuberant."  
  
"Why can't I see her? Where is she?"  
  
"Unfortunately it appears Usagi presence can only be detected by myself and my student Jean." He motioned towards the redhead standing close by. "We are able to communicate with her due to our telepathic powers. I used a psychic link to allow Usagi to communicate with you. But come we must leave, more soldiers are on their way. I'm worried they may have a sentinel with them."  
  
He headed to a small stealth jet, some way off and partially concealed by shrubbery. An electronic door slid open and the seven of the eight people that made up her rescue party entered. The other, the older man who had lead the way out of the base stalked off along another route. Ami looked in the direction he was heading and saw a helicopter of similar design to the jet she was now entering.  
  
"We must be swift if we hope to beat Trask's men to the hospital." The bald man announced. Ami's younger rescuers all nodded and moved to seats as the jet took off. Ami looked at them in confusion and turned to the bald man. She never got the chance to ask her question.  
  
"Ami I understand your confusion and I promise all will be explained in due course. However right now Usagi is in grave danger." Whilst you and my X- men" He indicated her rescuers "were in the base I was able to read Trask's mind. It appears they have already sent out an assassin to deal with their 'problem'."  
  
___________________________________________________  
  
There you go. Constructive criticism is extremely welcome. I will take anything people say into consideration and edit. Many thanks to all of the reviewers so far. This chapter got a bit long so I hope you like it. I'm still looking for an editor btw. Damia and Callisto Star, I think your questions were answered if you have any more let me know. Special thanks to Sailor Ronin Usa-chan for giving a detailed critique *glomps* and to Senshi's Tenshi for pointing out an error. I'm trying to think of a word to replace treacle and to sort out the dialogue in the prologue, does anyone have any ideas? That's all.  
  
I made a couple of changes that Hildegarde pointed out and added in Kurt's accent (I read some evo fiction and realised that's what they do when he speaks) 


End file.
